The Cleveland Browns open the 2026 NFL season against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville on Sept. 13. Deshaun Watson was named the starting quarterback ahead of Shedeur Sanders despite a horrible record so far in Cleveland as one of the most expensive players in NFL history.

Watson arrived in Cleveland in early 2022 after the Browsn acquired him from Houston with a fully guaranteed $230 million contract and three first-round picks plus other draft capital. Watson was leaving Texas under the cloud of sexual-misconduct allegations that prompted the NFL to suspend him for the first 11 games of the 2022 season. He returned late that year but was ineffective. In 2023, he went 5-1 as a starter before a season-ending shoulder injury. In 2024, he ruptured his Achilles tendon after seven starts, then injured the tendon again which put him out for all of 2025.

To date in Cleveland, he has played 19 games, going 9-10 with 3,365 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. His form has been a stark contrast to the Pro Bowl form he showed in Houston and a central reason why the Browns' trade and contract have been widely viewed as a franchise-altering failure. Going into 2026, the fans are not happy.

Gurvinder Singh, a 52-year-old Browns fan, was not a fan of the original trade and his feelings now capture the mood of the city.

“I never wanted to see the guy here," said Singh. “He criticized the fans for booing because it’s ‘personal.’ No, it’s not. He’s been terrible his whole time here. The boos are only going to get worse.”

Watson didn't help himself, after he went after fans following a 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in a preseason game at Huntingon Field, Aug. 22. 

“It has nothing to do with the performance,” Watson grouched. “It’s a little more personal than that,” adding that he gets treated better by fans on the road than he does at home. 

Adam Rodgers, 23, is another Browns fan who was not happy with management's decision to start Watson at the key position.

“He has not proven anything to earn another shot at starting,” Rodgers said. “Nothing good can come out of Deshaun being the starting quarterback. It makes no sense.”

Rodgers thinks Sanders, acquired in April 2025 in the fifth round of the NFL Draft at 144 overall for $4.66 million should be starting.

“We should throw Shedeur out there and see what he’s got,” Rodgers said. “He was decent last year, and this year we have better weapons and hopefully the offensive line will be better. Deshaun has no future in Cleveland after this year. We should throw Shedeur out there and see if he can be a franchise quarterback.”

Another Browns fan, Brandon Simon, 22, was blunt in his assessment of Watson's shortcomings.

“The play has just been awful,” said Simon. “It’s been terrible.”

The debate in Cleveland about Watson starting has been intense. The best that can be said is that the Browns are rebuilding and Watson has the experience that Sanders doesn't. The Browns are fielding five new offensive linemen, two rookie receivers and a tight end returning from surgery. They also have a new head coach, Todd Monken, hired in January 2026. His thinking seems to be that a veteran, however flawed, is a better bet than the barely tested newcomer.

But fans question whether Watson has the emotional stability and level head the Browns need.

“10,000 people booed him and he threw a temper tantrum,” Simon said. “What’s going to happen in Week 3 when he comes here and it’s 70,000 people screaming and booing as loud as they possibly can?” 

With the first two games of the 2026 season on the road in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, Watson has the chance to silence his critics, perhaps even earn some respect from the fans before the home opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 27. 

But for now, Cleveland Browns fans are not ecstatic that Deshaun Watson will be leading the team.